Red Lust: Journey to the Fountain of Youth
by Addicted2Him
Summary: She reminds him of Elizabeth: strong, fierce, handy with a weapon. But she's crafty, thinks like a pirate. She thwarts his attempts at being a trickster, takes charge. He has no one to compare her to. There's no one like her. Jack/OC
1. Chapter 1

Anyone who knew Jack Sparrow knew he only truly cared for three things: living forever, rum, and the Black Pearl.

Maybe he had the occasional soft spot for Will and Elizabeth Turner—after all, he wasn't heartless—but seeing as Will was ferrying souls as captain of the Flying Dutchman and Elizabeth was living somewhere Jack didn't know the name of, he was back to just the previous three. The secret to the first, living forever, was the rolled map in his inside coat pocket. The second, rum, was contained in the large bottle he held in his left hand. And the third? Here's where things got dicey.

The Black Pearl, his beloved ship, had once again left port without him. For the second bloody time, Barbossa had taken his ship. A consolation, however, was that Jack had carved out the crucial part of the map and therefore Barbossa wasn't any closer to finding eternal life. Unfortunately without a ship, neither was Jack.

His little dingy had barely made it halfway from Tortuga before sinking pitifully; he'd luckily hitched a ride back on a transport ship back to the port, and here Jack had stayed for the better part of a month. Despite doing a rutting good job of avoiding the numberous females he'd offended in previous visits, he recognized he couldn't afford to stay here much longer.

Literally. Inn fare was expensive these days.

Jack took another swig of rum. The chaos of Tortuga had become familiar long ago, and now he hardly noticed. What he _did_ notice, almost immediately, was the newcomer who entered the tavern.

He wore a cloak, hood up, and a fabric mask over his mouth and nose. The clothes underneath the cloak consisted of simple, if a bit too large, trousers and a loose-fitting white linen shirt tied very tightly at the neck. While the end result could have been slightly comical, he seemed off, like something wasn't quite right. Jack's eyes followed him as he approached the bar, and the cloak swung aside at one point to five Jack a glimpse of a cutlass. He sat down two chairs from Jack, but didn't say a word to the barkeep.

Slim build, thought Jack. Looks as if he'd snap like a toothpick.

Jack squinted at the stranger, then turned to face him.

"Fancy a drink, mate?" he asked, holding up his nearly empty bottle of rum for emphasis.

The man's eyes snapped to him, then back to the bar, keeping his head down and in shadow. "No."

His voice was about as deep as you'd expect from someone his size. Jack moved over a chair, keeping a tight hand on his rum.

"You're in Tortuga, what do you come for if not to drink, eh?" Jack grinned. "Don't tell me rum's not your thing." He drank deeply.

"I'm getting my ship repaired," the man said a little sharply. "Tortuga was just the closest port."

Jack was stunned for a moment. "Ship? You have a ship?"

"Yes."

"So you're a captain then?" Seeing an opportunity, Jack plowed on. "I love ships. I'd love to see yours. You seem like an excellent captain, top notch—"

The man's eyes narrowed as he looked back at Jack. "Who are you?"

"Captain Jack Sparrow," said Jack, still grinning. It was a grin that, if you knew him well enough, you would recognize as being the one he got often when he was scheming or had found something that interested him. The man interested him, and already he was beginning to form a plan.

"Captain too, hm?" said the man. "Where's your ship, Captain Sparrow?"

Jack remembered a time when he'd been asked that same question. He supplied the same answer, "I'm in the market...as it were."

"Pity."

"Who are you?" asked Jack. When the man shot him a look with those dark, shadowed eyes, Jack merely shrugged. "It's only fair, mate."

"Captain Daniel Hayes," he said after much hesitation.

"And your ship?"

Daniel Hayes gave him a sidelong glance. "I don't recall asking your ship's name."

"Quite right, good sir," said Jack, a bit mockingly. "However, I do not posses a ship, remember?"

"The Red Lust."

Jack blinked, eyes widening fractionally. "_The _Red Lust?"

"Yes, yes, _The_." Hayes chuckled. "I'm told she won't be fixed and ready until the morning."

"That boat's legendary, mate," Jack said. "A shame it's captain isn't as well. Which inn are you staying at?"

Hayes didn't get a chance to answer. A tall, beefy man walked up to him and whispered something in his ear. Hayes nodded.

"Until next time, Captain Sparrow." He touched the edge of his hood as if tipping an imaginary hat.

He left. Jack raised his rum bottle at the other captain's back, smirking triumphantly.

"Drink up, me hearties, yo ho." He drank.

* * *

"The men were wondering where ye'd gone, Captain." The muscular man walked beside Hayes and laughed. Compared to this man, Hayes looked almost feminine.

"Mr. Reeves," Hayes said abruptly, "gather the crew." He walked with purpose, his brain working. "Tell them to head back to the ship. We're not to stay at the inn tonight."

"Sir?" Reeves knitted his brow in confusion. "The ship's being repaired."

"The ship's done. We leave Tortuga at dawn. I want all my men on board at least three hours before first light, is that clear?"

Reeves sighed. "Yes Captain. Who was that man?"

Hayes tensed. "Captain Jack Sparrow."

"Captain Jack—" Reeves gave his captain a disbelieving look.

"Yes. Formerly of the Black Pearl, currently without a vessel. Word's spreading around the pirate capitals that Barbossa's captain of it again." His voice was hard. "Get James first before the others. I want to speak with him. Sparrow is going to try and steal my ship."

* * *

A/N: next chapter coming up soon. if you liked, review. if you didn't, review.

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	2. Chapter 2

Dawn came just as Jack walked down the dock. It was hard to miss a ship as beautiful as the Red Lust. Jack thought she might even be comparable to the Pearl. The ship was small, built for speed, easy to maneuver in a tough spot. The sails were a strange gray, and they flew the pirate flag high. Its Jolly Roger was, as the reputation stated, scarlet red. Unique, as much of a telltale trademark as the Pearl's black sails. There wasn't much space for cannons, but it was known around the sea that it wasn't the ship's cannons that were deadly. It was the crew. Though the ship had changed hands several times over the years—this Captain Hayes fellow obviously being the newest—the crew remained loyal to the ship and each new leader, and they were a dangerous bunch of men.

With any luck, if he'd timed it correctly, a majority of the crew would be asleep at the inn. He could sneak past the guards. After all, he knew how to be sneaky. Carefully, Jack crept aboard the vessel. No guards? That's odd.

He turned to face the helm and nearly jumped out of his skin. Hayes, along with half a dozen men, stood before him.

"Uh oh," he said, making strange faces at the predicament he was in. He turned the other way. "Not good."

There were half a dozen more men the other way as well.

"Surprised, Sparrow," said Hayes, who was still cloaked, "to see that we've caught you trying to steal my ship?"

Jack's mouth formed a few shapes before he finally said, "First, I prefer the term commandeer. Second, what makes you think I was going to take it? One man cannot commandeer a ship, let alone steer it out of port." Arms held in a shrug innocently, he appealed to the crewman as he spoke.

"I've heard the story of you successfully 'commandeering' a ship with the aid of only one other man," Hayes mocked the term. "Not many would be surprised to hear you've attempted alone." He turned to a young man with sandy blonde hair. The man didn't look rough enough to be a part of the original crew. Maybe Hayes had added this one. Why? "James, show Sparrow your gun for me. He looks like he wants to see it."

"Gladly, Captain." James pulled his pistol from the waistband of his trousers and aimed it at Jack.

Jack threw his hands up. "Whoa, whoa, I call..." He hesitated, searching his mind. "What's the bloody word..."

Evidently, Hayes was ignoring him. "Whenever you like, James. We'll want to have Liam mop the deck after it's done, before the blood soaks into the wood."

"Parlay!" Jack yelled suddenly. He snapped his fingers and pointed at Hayes excitedly. "Parlay!"

The captain's head snapped to him sharply. "Very well. The man has called Parlay and in honoring the code he cannot be harmed until he has spoken with the captain." He eyed James. "Put the gun away for now."

James obeyed, looking extremely displeased. Hayes walked forward until he was a few steps from Jack.

"You are on my ship uninvited," he said, "under suspicion of trying to commandeer it, as you put it. What is it you wish to negotiate?"

"I _wish to negotiate_," said Jack, "not being shot!"

All Jack could see of Hayes were his eyes. They were a clear blue-green, like glass almost.

"In exchange for what?" Hayes asked.

For a moment, Jack was caught off guard. "I'll get off your ship and you'll never have to lay eyes on me again."

Underneath the cloth mask, Hayes smiled. "I've got a better idea. We aren't going to kill you, and in exchange you are going to lead us to the Fountain of Youth." He leaned forward, holding himself high despite being shorter than Jack. His eyes watched the other man. "Savvy?"

"Oy, you're not allowed to say 'savvy', I'm the only one that says 'savvy'—"

"You have the map on you, I assume?" Hayes stepped back.

Immediately, Jack adopted an innocent expression. "The Fountain of Youth is a myth—"

"Don't play dumb, Jack. It's all over the Caribbean that there's a map."

"How do you know I've got it?" asked Jack slyly, admitting there was a map but not betraying anything else.

"Saw it in your coat last night. You really should conceal it better. I hope you didn't spill any rum on it." The crew chortled. Hayes locked eyes with him again. "I suppose I can make it a little more worth your while. You show us the way to the Fountain, and we'll give you what you want."

Jack waited, even though a part of him knew exactly what the other captain was about to say.

"We'll help you get back the Black Pearl."

Jack didn't say anything, just let it sink in.

"Do we have an accord?" Hayes stuck out his hand. It was gloved.

As the crew watched, Jack shook it.

"Good," said Hayes. "James!"

The young man appeared at his side in an instant. "Yes, Captain?"

"Escort Jack Sparrow to his quarters." He turned away. "Make sure he stays there until we're a good distance from Tortuga."

"Aye aye, Captain."

At Jack's indignant look, Hayes said to him, "Be thankful I said quarters and not brig."

* * *

"Why are you so eager to please the captain?" asked Jack.

He sat on the rough bed, eying the young man as he leaned against the door.

"He is my Captain," James replied simply.

"Still, you're very protective of him, aren't you?"

Jack received the same answer, though this time with a smile.

"Does the rest of the crew share your sentiment?"

James' smile was soft, which Jack thought was odd. "I overheard them talking once," he said. "They all thought Daniel is the best captain this ship has ever had. They couldn't be more right." James blinked and looked at the other man, who was staring at him. "What?"

"You called him Daniel, Jimmy," said Jack, giving him a nickname for James. "My understanding is that men don't do that if they're just part of the crew."

James narrowed his eyes, but before he could respond the door opened. The large man Jack recognized as the one to retrieve Hayes from the tavern muttered something too low for Jack to hear.

"We're far enough away from Tortuga," said James to him. "The captain wants to see you in his quarters." He went to turn away and stopped. "Oh," he added. "Don't call me Jimmy."

* * *

A/N: for more chapters, click the review button below.


	3. Chapter 3

The door closed behind Jack, and he and the captain of the Red Lust were left in silence. The captain's quarters were simple, clean, and modest; not what one would expect of a rampaging pirate leader.

Finally, Jack broke the silence. "Do you wear that getup all the time, then?"

Hayes chuckled and said, "Full of questions, aren't you? A good way of getting a crew to follow you is being a strong leader." He clasped his hands behind his back. "A smart way is getting them to fear you. Every man fears the unknown."

"So," said Jack slowly. "That's a yes, then?"

"I certainly hope you won't be like this the whole trip."

"One more." Jack flashed his teeth in a strange smile. "When do we go after my ship?"

"Despite the fact that you have the map, I'm sure Barbossa's been making attempts to travel to the Fountain. He'd have left a trail all over the Caribbean. After you take us to the Fountain—"

Jack shook his head. "I'm not taking you anywhere without my ship, savvy?"

Hayes nodded absently. "Understandable," he said, "to doubt my loyalty to our agreement. But you are on my ship, Sparrow, not the Pearl. You are not captain here, I am. I'm afraid I have also learned to be wary. You will lead us to the Fountain, and then my crew and I will assist you in freeing your ship from Barbossa."

Jack's hand was a blur, and when it stopped moving he held his pistol at Hayes, aimed at the man's head. "I'm sorry to say that doesn't work for me." Jack moved slowly, walking forward.

Hayes simply began to laugh. "My, my, Sparrow," he said. "If I'd have known you would be this entertaining I would have told James to let you keep your sword. Then this would really be fun." He shrugged. "Alas."

He ducked quickly, unsheathing his cutlass and swinging it. Jack fired, but Hayes hadn't been aiming for him. His cutlass smacked the pistol with a metallic clang, the shot firing harmlessly in a different direction.

"You shouldn't have tried to do that, Jack," said Hayes. The cutlass caressed Jack's cheek. "The crew will have heard the shot. Any minute now James will barge in. I have no control over him if he thinks I'm in any danger."

Jack gritted his teeth together. His arms were at his sides, and he fingered the outline of his dagger through his clothes. Thank God he'd had the sense to pick one up in Tortuga.

"Did it occur to you that I didn't ask my men to take your other weapons on purpose?" Jack could see that Hayes was smiling through the fabric. "I wanted to see if you were as rash as the stories say. The Pearl is very precious to you, isn't she? It's almost unhealthy."

"Depends on your definition of unhealthy, mate." Jack pushed hard on the smaller man, his palm flat against the man's chest. Caught off guard, he stumbled back, long enough for Jack to retrieve his dagger.

Hayes laughed again when he saw. "Alright. Come at me, then."

After a moment of contemplation, Jack lunged with the dagger. Hayes swatted it away with the blade of his cutlass. Again and again, clanging of metal filling the air. The door of the cabin opened, and Hayes' turned his head almost on reflex. Jack saw an opportunity and took it, but James, the one who had opened the door, shouted. As Jack took another swing with his dagger, Hayes took a step back. If his reaction time had been perfect, the dagger would have missed its target completely. As it were, Hayes' reaction was delayed. The point of the dagger caught on Hayes' fabric mask and ripped it, leaving a shallow slice on his cheek. Hayes tripped, landed hard on the floor, and the hood fell back from his head. James had drawn his gun, aimed it at Jack who, with a curse, dropped the dagger.

"James!" Hayes shouted, lifting himself up. "The door!"

James reached behind him, shut the door, and then Hayes stood to face Jack. The torn mask had fallen away, revealing Hayes' face and the horizontal cut that reached from just beside his nose almost to his ear. A thin line of blood dripped from it. Jack stared, mouth agape, speechless.

"What is it, Sparrow?" demanded Hayes sarcastically. "You look shocked."

Hayes dropped the cloak, and without it Jack could see the outline of his figure. Features were petite, soft, and skin like porcelain, untouched by the sun. Gloves hit the floor next to the cloak, revealing thin hands, filed nails. The strings at the neck were untied, and the skin there was pale as well. With the hood gone, Jack could see long auburn hair, perfectly straight, pulled back and tied with a string.

"You're..."

"Yes, Jack Sparrow," hissed Hayes fiercely. "I'm a woman."

Jack looked between James and Hayes. "Well, why aren't _you _surprised?" Jack asked James, throwing his hands up. Realization dawned. "You knew. Does the rest of the crew know?"

"No," said Hayes. "And I intend to keep it that way. If any of my men hear of this, you will not live in time to claim Parlay."

"Wait, well then, what's your real name?" asked Jack, the threat barely registering. "If you don't mind me asking, love."

"My real name is Daniella." She lifted her chin as she sheathed her cutlass.

"How did a lady such as yourself come to be captain of a pirate ship, Daniella?"

Her eyes narrowed. "I'm not sure how that brain of yours works, if it works at all, but despite your discovery nothing has changed." She walked forward, each word said with purpose. "You are still alive only on negotiated terms, and I am still captain of this ship. You will address me as such, is that clear?"

"Inescapably." He put his hands together and gestured at her with them.

There was a loud bang on the door. "Captain!" a rough voice shouted. "You're needed on deck urgently."

Instead of donning her cloak, Captain Daniella Hayes adjusted her ponytail higher on her head, piling her hair on top and putting on a dirty black tri-cornered hat. She ripped a piece of cloth from a scarf hanging on a chair in the corner, tying the thin black fabric over her mouth and nose.

"James," she said. "Take Sparrow back to his quarters and lock the door. I will have none of his shenanigans."

"Yes, Captain."

* * *

Hayes appeared on deck. "Reeves! What is it?"

"Look, sir," said the dirty man. "On the horizon."

She took the spyglass from him and looked through it. "A trading ship."

"Aye, Captain. Look beside it."

Her eyebrows raised. "Military escort."

"Aye, _aye_!" said Reeves excitedly. "They're coming from the direction of Port Royal, sir. It might be worthwhile for us to take a look."

"Liam!" Hayes called. The man, as slim as her but with a large scar running down his face, jogged over from the other side of the ship.

"Yes, Captain?" he said, his voice low and scratchy.

"Are we in need of any supplies?" she asked.

Liam's brown dreadlocks moved fluidly as he shook his head. "We stocked up everything we could when we stopped in Tortuga."

"Gunpowder?" she asked. "Rations, water?" He continued to shake his head. She nodded. "Reeves, keep steady on our course. We do not deviate."

Though Reeves seemed disappointed, he did not question her. "Shall we lower the flag, Captain?"

She lowered the spyglass, watched the ships as they came closer. The three ships were well on their way to pass each other if one didn't change their course. "No. Leave it. If they wish to come after us, I want them to think they have the upper hand." She gave the spyglass back and turned away. "Ready the men." Pausing, she added, "And remove the oars from the rowboat."

At the strange request, Reeves looked confused. "Sir?"

"I'm about to do something very stupid, and I want no chance of Sparrow escaping." She gave him a hardened look. "Why are you still here?"

Reeves scrambled away, muttering a quick, "Yes, sir." Hayes headed back below deck. She was about to ask Jack Sparrow for his help in navigating her ship. Just the thought made bile rise in her throat, but it had to be done. He had the map, he had the strange compass. It had to be done.

* * *

"Didn't see that one coming, eh, Jacky?" he muttered to himself, pacing the length of his cabin. "A woman. Huh!" He stopped. "She's quite pretty, I suppose. Her attitude reminds me of Elizabeth. All female pirates must have that superiority complex. I might have to watch myself around this—"

"Are you talking to yourself?"

Jack jumped, turning towards the door. Daniella had lowered the mask and was looking at him quizzically.

"Hm, what, no! Just...thinking out loud." He frowned. "Why are you here? I figured you were done with me for the time being."

Looking positively miserable as the words came out of her mouth, she said, "I need your assistance."

He grinned, lips curling up slowly. "Now those, love, are my favorite words to hear."

* * *

A/N: chapter three, done. review pleeeeeease.


	4. Chapter 4

"Hoist the sails!" Jack called, popping out from below deck.

"Belay that!" Hayes snarled. "Don't undermine me, Sparrow."

"Wouldn't dream of it," Jack smiled, "Captain."

He winked, spinning around and walking up the stairs to the helm. Hayes followed him stiffly, almost stomping, and he noticed in satisfaction that her cheeks were tinged pink.

"Captain?"

Hayes looked over the rails. Members of her crew were quizzically watching her and the man behind her. Jack pushed the guy at the wheel aside and took charge. Hayes muttered a dismissal at him before turning to Jack.

"So, where are we going, Jack?" she asked through gritted teeth.

That gave Jack pause. He knew he wanted his ship back, and he knew he wanted to live forever. The way to eternal life was the Fountain of Youth. His plan had always been to get the Pearl back and then make the journey to the Fountain. After Hayes had first made the deal, his plan had altered itself. Now, did it really matter in which order his goals were accomplished?

On one hand, he could trick Hayes and her crew into thinking they were heading to the Fountain when really, if his compass pointed him the right way, they were finding his ship. Then he could leave them and sail away on his own.

On the other hand, he quite enjoyed getting under the young woman's skin...

He pulled out his compass. For a moment the needle spun wildly, and then it stopped directly on the two ships in the distance.

"What are those ships there?" he asked with a grimace, pointing.

Blinking, Hayes replied. "A trading ship and a naval ship."

Jack's eyes got very big very fast. "Rum!"

"What?"

"Rum!" he repeated.

The crew's attention gravitated to him as he spun the wheel to steer the Lust towards the ships.

"What are you doing, Jack?" She reached out to try and stop him. He slapped her hand away, earning himself an evil look.

"That ship has rum on it," he explained excitedly. "They are transporting rum."

As her men's eyes lit up, Hayes asked, "How are you so sure?"

Exasperated, he turned to her and shoved his compass in her face.

"See this compass? It points toward whatever I want. What I want is rum, and this little needle is pointing to that ship. That ship, therefore, has rum, and this compass will point to nothing else until I get my rum."

Hayes stared at him. "Unbelievable."

She stormed away, and Jack sported a huge grin.

"All hands on deck!" he said. "We're going after that trading ship."

The men hesitated. Hayes waved her hand, uncaring, before slamming the door to the lower decks, and they slowly got to work.

* * *

James came in the room quietly. "You never walk away from a fight. Something wrong?"

"Wasn't really a fight," she grumbled. Hayes lay on her bed, one arm tucked under her pillow behind her head. Her other hand was on her stomach, fingers making incessant tapping motions. It was what she did when she was thinking, he knew...or agitated. "Who cares that much about rum?"

He chuckled, sitting on a chair and pulling it close to the bed. "He's a pirate, Danni," he said gently.

She snorted. "He's a joke. _I'm _a pirate."

"Danni..."

"At least I can keep a ship in my possession for more than a month. Just because he escaped the East India Trading Company and Davy Jones, everyone thinks he's so clever. It disgusts me. I'm a much better pirate than he is, but no one's heard of me!"

"Danni," James said forcefully. "You're not a pirate."

She bolted up into a sitting position. "Like hell I'm not!"

His expression softened. "You're a woman, French by birth, you have a family back home—"

"My family is a lie, James." She shook her head. "What's your point?"

"My point is, you're so different from him." He leaned forward earnestly. "You're not a ruthless rum-drinking pirate, Danni."

"I _am_," she stressed. "I pillage and plunder and all that nonsense. I destroy ships and leave no survivors. I stab men through the heart and watch them die on my steel. I hunt treasure. So what if I don't really care for rum?"

"That's not what I'm getting at—"

"Then what _are _you getting at?" she asked, throwing down her arms. "Do you miss our old life, James? Is that it?"

He looked trapped. "That's not—"

"Do you?"

He met her eyes, and told her the truth. "Sometimes. I miss being a child and playing on the beach. I miss having a warm home instead of a rocking vessel. I miss the simplicity our life held before." James sighed. "I miss how we were."

Daniella took his hands. "We're still us, James."

"You've changed, Danni." His thumb absently stroked the soft skin of her hand. "There's things you want now that you didn't before...and things you wanted then that you want no longer."

She flinched. "James—"

He stood, shaking his head. "It's alright. Forget I mentioned anything." He gave her a smile, his good-looking features brightening. "Try not to let Sparrow bother you so much. After this excursion with the Fountain you never have to see him again. I'll come get you when we get closer to the trading ship." There was a sadness behind his face, and he leaned down briefly to press his lips to her forehead. "Don't worry, Danni. You're doing a good job."

* * *

A/N: chapter four :) thank you all for reviewing, keep it up!


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